Finding Creativity Together

When Becky Bochatey ’98 (Visual Communications/Illustration BFA) and Jeremie Talbot ’98 (Illustration BFA) arrived at MICA in the 1990s, neither could have predicted where their creative paths would lead.

At the time, the internet was still in its infancy. Pixar was only beginning to redefine animation. “User experience design” was not yet a recognized profession, and MICA didn’t even offer an animation major. Yet the lessons they absorbed in Baltimore — curiosity, experimentation, collaboration, and critical thinking — would shape careers at the forefront of industries that barely existed when they graduated.

Today, Bochatey works in user experience and product design after decades spent helping shape digital platforms during the rise of the modern web. Talbot is a character supervisor at Pixar, overseeing teams who build the digital systems behind some of the studio’s most beloved animated films.

They are also partners in life, raising their young son in Marin County, California, where creativity still permeates their home much as it did the hallways of MICA’s residence halls decades earlier. Their story, however, began before either knew exactly where art school — or each other — would take them.

Finding Their Way to MICA

Bochatey’s path to MICA was not straightforward. Growing up in Virginia, she knew early on that she was drawn to art. A supportive high school teacher helped her build a portfolio for college applications, but practical concerns loomed large.

“My parents were a little nervous about MICA because it was in Baltimore and it was expensive,” she recalled.

Instead, she initially enrolled at James Madison University. But after a year, it became clear something was missing. “The art program barely existed,” she said. “My parents saw how unhappy I was and said, ‘You really seem drawn to MICA.’” She transferred soon afterward, taking out loans and embracing the urban, creative environment he had long imagined for himself.

Talbot’s route was equally unconventional. Her family had moved multiple times — from Canada to Texas to Maryland — and shifting school credits created an unusual opportunity. Rather than completing another year of high school after moving, he had the option of applying to art school early.

“That felt like a no-brainer to me,” he said.

At the time, his ambition centered on animation, even though MICA did not yet offer an animation program. He initially viewed the school as a temporary stop before eventually transferring elsewhere. But once he arrived, his plans changed.

“I found my people,” he said. “I didn’t want to leave.”

Looking back, he sees that decision as pivotal.

“Staying at MICA completely changed the direction of my career in ways that turned out to be incredibly positive.”

A Creative Community and a Relationship

Their connection began in the Commons residence hall. Talbot lived upstairs from Bochatey and first met her while helping carry boxes during move-in day.

“I didn’t know who she was,” he said with a laugh. “I was just trying to help.”

What followed was not an immediate romance, but a friendship rooted in a larger creative community. The group of roommates and neighbors in the Commons became tightly connected, bonded by late-night conversations, studio projects, and the intensity of art school life. For both, MICA’s environment extended well beyond the classroom.

“The Commons had this amazing creative energy,” Bochatey said. “You were suddenly surrounded by all these people who thought differently and worked differently.”

The city itself became part of their education. Walking along Charles Street, exploring museums, observing people, and experiencing Baltimore’s layered urban landscape all fed their creative growth.

Faculty members encouraged that outward-looking mindset. Bochatey especially remembers artist and educator John Beam, whose assignments often pushed students to engage directly with the surrounding community.

“His assignments were often about going out into the world, observing critically, and engaging with the community,” she said. “Looking back, that was really powerful.”

Talbot admitted some of those lessons only fully resonated years later. “At the time, some of it was lost on us because we were still maturing,” he said. “Sometimes I think if I’d been two years older, I would’ve absorbed even more of it.”

Building Careers in Emerging Industries

After graduation, Bochatey and Talbot moved into very different creative fields, but both found themselves working in industries experiencing massive technological transformation. For Bochatey, that meant entering the internet boom at precisely the right moment.

“We were designing websites during the very early days of the internet,” she said. “It was basically taking print brochures and translating them into digital experiences.”

MICA had helped expose her to those opportunities early. Visiting professionals introduced students to emerging forms of “new media,” and Bochatey and several classmates became fascinated by the possibilities. Eventually, they launched their own small production and design company while still students, an experience that opened the door to internships, agency work, and eventually leadership roles in digital product design.

Over the years, Bochatey worked across startups, entertainment companies, educational platforms, and major technology companies including Yahoo, Redfin, and Glassdoor. As the internet evolved, so did the discipline itself, branching into interaction design, research, human-computer interaction, and product strategy.

Today, she sees parallels between the uncertainty of the early internet era and the current rise of artificial intelligence.

“With AI, the industry feels ‘Wild West’ again,” she said. “Disciplines are blurring, workflows are changing, and people are trying to figure out what roles even mean anymore.”

Having already navigated one technological revolution, she approaches the current moment with perspective rather than panic.

“In some ways, having lived through the first chaotic wave of the internet gives me comfort now.”

Talbot’s trajectory was similarly shaped by emerging technology.

While at MICA, he independently pursued internships in the rapidly growing field of 3D computer graphics. Inspired by films like Terminator 2 and Jurassic Park, he contacted software companies near his hometown in Canada and essentially volunteered to work for them.

“They wanted young artists to test the software and provide feedback on usability and workflow,” he said.

The experience proved transformative. He returned during school breaks, built a specialized portfolio, and developed technical skills few schools were teaching at the time.

“Without those internships, I would not be doing what I do today,” he said.

Eventually, that foundation led him to Pixar, where he now serves as a character supervisor.

Bringing Characters to Life

Talbot describes his role at Pixar with an analogy that simplifies an extraordinarily technical process.

“The animators are the actors,” he explained. “My department builds the ‘puppets’ they act with.”

His teams sculpt characters digitally and create the underlying systems that make them move believably:  anatomy, rigging, facial articulation, and emotional expression. As a supervisor, he oversees teams across entire productions, helping solve problems unique to each film’s visual world.

“How do you create a character made entirely of fire that still feels emotionally expressive?” he said, referencing challenges faced during films like Elemental. “That kind of problem-solving is incredibly thrilling.”

What keeps the work meaningful, however, is not only the technology but the storytelling behind it. At Pixar, each film emerges from deeply personal experiences. He recalls Onward as especially moving because director Dan Scanlon was processing the loss of his father. Coco carried the responsibility of honoring another culture with care and authenticity. Elemental explored themes of immigration and family inspired by director Pete Sohn’s experiences.

“It’s a privilege to help bring those stories to life,” Talbot said.

Creativity as a Lifelong Practice

Despite demanding careers, both Bochatey and Talbot continue to view creativity less as a profession and more as a fundamental way of moving through the world. For Bochatey, creativity feels inseparable from identity.

“I don’t really feel like I have a choice,” she said. “Without some kind of creative outlet, I think I’d go a little crazy.”

Talbot sees creativity as deeply tied to curiosity, the persistent urge to understand how things work.

“I still get excited asking, ‘How did they do that?’ whenever I encounter something new,” he said.

That mindset also shapes their parenting. Their home is intentionally filled with art supplies, drawing materials, and opportunities for exploration for their seven-year-old son.

Despite the demands of their careers, they are intentional about making space for exploration and creativity in their personal lives. Hiking, biking, traveling, visiting museums, and exploring Northern California’s beaches and mountains provide balance and inspiration. Talbot especially looks forward to sharing with his son the joy of wandering through cities and discovering unexpected moments of inspiration along the way.

Lessons That Last

When asked what remains most valuable from their MICA education, both immediately point to critique.

“The critique process,” Bochatey said. “As a student, critique feels deeply personal and sometimes devastating. But it teaches you how to talk about your work, defend your decisions, and separate yourself emotionally from feedback.”

Talbot agreed that while software and technical skills evolve constantly, the ability to think critically endures.

“The technical skills change over time,” he said, “but the ability to look critically and objectively at work, to understand what’s working and what isn’t, stays with you forever.”

For Bochatey, the future belongs not simply to technical expertise, but to perspective.

“As technology becomes more automated, what matters is your point of view, your curiosity, and your ability to think critically,” she said.

Talbot echoed that sentiment while encouraging students to remain flexible about where creative careers may lead.

“Neither of our current careers existed when we graduated,” he said. “We got here because we stayed curious, flexible, and open-minded about where things might lead.”

More than two decades after graduating from MICA, both remain closely connected to the institution that shaped their creative foundations. Talbot recently joined MICA’s Board of Directors, continuing a relationship with the college that began in the Commons residence hall in the 1990s and now comes full circle through mentorship and leadership.